Asian bonds hit records, but pace to slacken

Bankers expect debt issuance north of $100 billion in 2013, but the pace is expected to slow down.

Bankers expect Asian dollar bond issuance to exceed $100 billion again this year, but the pace is expected to slacken in the second half. Last year, Asian borrowers outside Japan raised a total of $130 billion. Year-to-date, they have already raised $68 billion, which puts them on a firm footing to exceed last year’s volumes.

However, most bankers are predicting a slowdown during the second half. “I’m expecting north of $100 billion this year,” said...